Liverpool host Arsenal as Havertz's control outweighs his goal drought
Liverpool will host Arsenal on Sunday in a Premier League showdown, pitting German internationals Kai Havertz and Florian Wirtz against each other despite Havertz's nine‑hour goal drought, while manager Mikel Arteta insists his control, not his scoring, justifies a starting berth.
German internationals clash at Anfield
In the Premier League top match against Liverpool, Kai Havertz will face his German Nationalspieler colleague Florian Wirtz. Although the Arsenal striker has not scored for weeks, he is likely to start because of his superior control. When Liverpool host Arsenal on Sonntag, the duel will involve two German internationals: Florian Wirtz, who sits behind striker Alexander Isak at Liverpool, meets Kai Havertz.
Both players grew up at Bayer Leverkusen in offensive midfield, moved young to the Premier League and are now key players for their clubs. While Wirtz continues to operate in Liverpool's attacking midfield, Havertz has established himself as a centre‑forward at Arsenal.
Havertz valued for control over goals
In seven of the eight Premier League matches so far, the 27‑year‑old Havertz has started, always in the front position. Arsenal already have Viktor Gyökeres as a designated scorer in the squad. Despite this, manager Mikel Arteta still regularly selects Havertz, not because of his goal tally. Havertz has scored two Premier League goals, on the first and third matchdays.
He has now gone more than nine hours without a goal across competitions and has not yet recorded a league assist. Arteta values Havertz for his ability to retain the ball, give teammates space to run, and provide control, with a pass completion rate above 80 percent, impressive for a striker.
With Havertz as a link‑up player in the final third, Arsenal gain time to organise against opponents. He also drops into midfield, offers himself between the lines and participates in combination play, forcing opposing centre‑backs to decide whether to follow and thereby open space.
The Athletic counted that Havertz has started as a centre‑forward 19 times against another Big Six team, with Arsenal losing only four of those matches and just one in the Premier League. Many reasons support Havertz's inclusion, though whether he ends his goal drought remains uncertain; for Arteta, the decisive factor is Havertz's contribution to control rather than scoring.
Gyökeres' goal drought and Arteta's options
Gyökeres, the Swedish forward who joined from Sporting Lisbon in 2025 and scored 14 goals in his first Premier League season, is still waiting for his first league goal this season. His only season goal came in the League Cup against fourth‑tier Fleetwood Town. In roughly two and a half hours of Premier League minutes, Gyökeres has had only one shot on target and none in the Champions League.
It is unlikely that Gyökeres and Havertz will both start at Anfield on Sunday. The Athletic speculates that Mikel Merino could be deployed in attack, having often played as a centre‑forward when others were injured.
The match is featured in the sportschau.de Premier League showdown broadcast on 29 October 2026 at 00:14.